


All Save One

by in_motu_proprio



Series: MCU Rewatch 2019 [8]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-31 10:09:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18589093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/in_motu_proprio/pseuds/in_motu_proprio
Summary: Natasha and Steve run into each other outside of work and decide to make a night of it all while Natasha is nursing a secret crush on the man in red, white, and blue.For Captain America:  The Winter Soldier





	All Save One

Natasha slowly looked up from where she was seated, the presence at her side lingering. It wasn’t unusual for men to linger over her, stare at her, try to touch her… the operative word being _try_ , but this presence felt different. “Is this seat taken?” Steve Rogers looked down at her with a silly smile and a tub of popcorn that looked awful tasty. While she did like Steve, she also liked popcorn. 

“It’s only free if I can have some of that.” She’d gotten a beverage and some sweets but now that the popcorn was in front of her, it looked delicious. 

“It’s double butter,” Steve told her, “and you’re welcome to it.” Steve carefully took the seat, not being like most other people she’d ever sat next to and didn’t immediately attempt to take over the armrest. “I love the movies,” Steve told Natasha, clearly a little nervous now that he was seated. If she had to call it anything, she’d say cute but she was potentially biased on this one.

“It’s a good way to pass some time,” she countered. Saturday was her day off and while she could be out on a date or home sleeping, she had just needed to get out. Alone. Or, now, alone plus Steve. The movie started up pretty quickly, not letting the pauses in conversation become awkward. It turned out Steve Rogers was a good seat partner and moviegoer, not interrupting or fidgeting. As the end credits rolled, she noticed he had a tear in his eye and a little smile on his lips. “You ok, Rogers?” 

“Steve, please?” He turned to look at her. “And I’m fine, I just found it touching.” 

“Touching,” Natasha asked as though it were a foreign word. “It was … mildly amusing.” 

“You didn’t like it,” Steve questioned as they headed out of the theater toward the mall it was housed in. 

“I didn’t say that.” Natasha leaned in a little, “we may have been at the movies for different reasons.” Steve was clearly there to connect and enjoy, she on the other hand hadn’t wanted to sit alone in her apartment tonight. Again. “You hungry, Rog…Steve,” she asked with a nod to the plethora of places to eat all open late because they were in the same area as the theater. 

“Can I tell you a secret,” Steve asked as they started to walk through the mall looking for somewhere that appealed to them both. 

“I have been known to keep a few.” 

“Ok… well, I can always eat. Always,” Steve told her. “This whole… thing,” he waved a hand over his body, “made me big but hungry. All the time.” 

“Well let’s figure that out, shall we,” Natasha said with a nod at a burger place she’d had before as take away. 

“Looks good,” Steve said as he reached out and opened the door for her, holding it so she could pass unimpeded. Natasha told herself not to read anything into it, that Steve just did things like that. He was ultra polite like 99% of the time and even the 1% when he was being a dick, he was nowhere near the level of assholery she’d dealt with in the past. *CoughTonyStarkCough*. 

“Two,” Natasha told the girl at the door dressed in festive 1950’s garb. “Near the back if you can.” 

“Sure, c’mon. I’ll seat you in the Buddy Holly section.” The young lady turned, her pony tail whipping out a bit as she did. They followed the bouncing hair to their table all the way in the back and near the bar, two things Natasha really appreciated. 

“Thank you, Suzie,” Steve said as he read the girl’s name tag. “Is there any information about Buddy Holly we could look at while we’re in his section?” Natasha almost laughed but realized he was entirely serious just in the nick of time. He seriously wanted to study Buddy Holly while they were waiting?

“Um… Wikipedia I guess,” she smiled a little, put off by the question because she didn’t know the answer. “I can ask the manager.”

“Don’t go to any trouble,” Steve said with that winning smile. “Thank you again.” 

“Steve,” Natasha asked and he refocused away from his fact finding mission, instead finding his seat with a smile. 

“Can I get you guys started with something from the bar?” 

“The pink lemonade,” Natasha asked. “With a double shot of vodka, anything Russian is fine.” 

“I’ll try the same thing without the alcohol,” Steve said. Natasha knew from experience, from actually trying, that Steve didn’t get drunk. Hell, to even catch a buzz he had to be throwing back the strongest stuff they could find. And it had passed after ten minutes. Rumlow had been horribly disappointed. 

When the hostess left, Steve’s brows were creased and it was clear he was thinking hard. “What?” 

“Was it rude of me not to drink with you? It’s just that it’s going to be a waste and…”

“Ro… Steve, I assure you that I’m 100% capable of drinking on my own. It wasn’t rude,” she told him as she leaned back in the booth, stretching her legs out in front of her. “I don’t know that you’re capable of rude.”

Steve laughed, “my act is working then.” 

“Clearly.” Their drinks were on their way back and Natasha was grateful for that. It was a little silly and a terrible idea all around, but she’d had a touch of a crush on Steve Rogers since The Battle of New York. It was seeing him in action that made her realize how talented he was, and how damn strong. Natasha couldn’t help but be thrilled when she’d been appointed as a liaison between him and S.H.I.E.L.D. in the early days then later as just one of his team. She liked both positions but was kind of glad that she didn’t have any actual power over him anymore, at least not in S.H.I.E.L.D.. 

“We should toast,” Steve pointed out as the waitress set down their drinks. 

“To the movies, bringing people together for ages now.” She gave him a little wink and reached out with her glass to clink it against Steve’s. “Cheers.” 

“Cheers.” They sipped and Natasha made a soft mmmmm noise at the pink lemonade, perfectly balanced between sweet and sour. They looked at their menus a bit after that, talking about some of the options. Natasha felt the vodka start to soak in and sighed, leaning back in the booth next to Steve. “You ok?”

“Relaxed,” Natasha said honestly. “I don’t get to do this often.” 

“Me either,” Steve said with a boyish smile. Natasha was considering leaning over just that small distance when the waitress came back into the picture and Steve ordered a mountain of food for them to share along with the burger Natasha had told him to get for her. She didn’t typically find it sexy or appealing for a man to order, but there was something about the sweet way Steve did it that didn’t make it dickish like most guys came across. 

For the rest of the night, Natasha just appreciated the company and when Steve walked her back to her car at the end of the night she very nearly leaned in for a kiss. Instead she got in her car, locked the doors, and turned on the engine. This was real life, not some fairytale and she couldn’t risk becoming compromised. Not again. Instead, as Natasha started to drive, she began running through all the women she could set Steve up with. Better to see him settled and happy with someone else than risk compromise. No, the next time she saw him, Natasha was going to give Steve all the options in the world… save one.


End file.
